Category Archives: Likes

Linen Sheets

16 Monday Sep 2013

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(First days of Kindergarten and a newborn baby certainly make for sparse blog posts around here…Sorry about that).

It was a hot July around here to be pregnant. My few pleasures involved eating and sleeping, and towards the end not even those were making me happy.  I had heard how amazing linen sheets are to sleep on and in a moment of weakness I ordered an expensive set of them online.  (I have never spent this much money on sheets and felt a little ill after I hit the confirm button).  But when the sheets arrived and we spent the first night sleeping on them, I felt much better.  (OK, technically I still felt ill and had to wake up to pee every hour, but the time spent actually sleeping was kind of amazing).  The sheets are huge- they generously touch the floor on both sides of the bed.  The color is soft and calming- they even look good when I am too lazy to make the bed.  Linen lasts for years and just gets softer with age.  And they are absolutely lovely to sleep on.  The sheets are a heavier weight than cotton, but light and cool in hot weather.  Now that the season is changing the sheets feel warm and comfortable at night.  I had planned to switch back to our normal cotton sheets when Dare was born.  She is in our bed and babies can be quite messy creatures, but I could not bring myself to switch back to cotton sheets.  I hid all of the cotton sheets upstairs.  I am in love and I cannot go back.  The baby seems pretty happy with them as well.

If you want to be really really nice to a pregnant woman (or yourself) you can find linen sheets here:  Restoration Hardware’s sheets, Garnet Hills sheets, vintage linen sheets on Ebay and Etsy.

Sweet dreams!
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Inspiration

06 Friday Sep 2013

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Inspiration
Happy Friday!

We can feel summer slipping away over here.  The light is changed since we returned from vacation.  The bees have started kicking the drones out of the hives for the cooler weather ahead, poor boys.  The garden is as full as it will get and we are thinking about what worked and what we will amend for next year.  We are planning winter projects and looking back at the steps we made over the summer.  Fall is my favorite time of year in this spot.  The sun is bright and strong, but no longer wilting.  We spent our last summer day at the park yesterday.  Ada is starting kindergarten on Monday!  I am still a bit in denial, and promise not to cry until we are out of her sight.  Autumn is such an exciting and transforming time of year.  It always makes me feel like change is on its way.  What are your plans for the new season?

Instagrams form the last few weeks:

*Ivy in the Window

*Fort Construction

*Josie on the Last Summer Beach Day

*Sleepy Dare in the Pouch

*Early Snowman at The Magic Forest, Lake George NY.  (We were skeptical, but The Magic Forest was pretty amazing.  The forgotten amusement park is small, quiet, shady and perfectly kitschy.  They have a Snow White animatronic exhibit which claims to be from the 1939 World’s Fair, but is in fact even older.  Mouse Planet has a great post about The Magic Forest’s history here.  The gift shop was a beautiful dusty jumble of beaded belts, felt cowboy hats and rubber souvenir tom-toms).

*Magic Forest Angels

Housewarming Gift

21 Friday Jun 2013

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Our good friends finally moved into their new house last month, after a long two-year search.  We are so happy for them and wanted to bring over some of our favorite housekeeping supplies as a housewarming gift.  We veered away slightly from the traditional gifts of honey, bread, candles, knives, plants, rice, salt, etc…They have lived together for years now and have most of these supplies on hand.  But we did put in a broom to keep the house “clean and free of evil spirits” (or at least free of dust).

*Swedish Horsehair Broom and Red Dustpan from Kiosk

*Linen Dish Towels from Moon River Chattel 

*A Craftsman Bottle Opener (who doesn’t need an opener to match their screwdrivers?)

*Cards from the Girls

Family Road Trip

06 Thursday Jun 2013

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We managed to survive (and even have fun) on a nine day driving trip with a two and four-year-old.  This was our last adventure as a family of four before the baby arrives in August.  We used Air B&B to book all of the places we stayed and were super happy with the results.  The houses we found were amazing and cost much less than hotels.  Here are some of the highlights from the week:

*Driving in the Smoky Mountains

*Jefferson Pools, Warm Springs Va

*White Duck Taco, Ashville NC

*Air B&B Apartment in Converted Garage, Ashville NC

*Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington KY

*Horse Country, KY

*Bright Crayon Colors at Sunny Point Cafe, Ashville NC

*Graffiti, Ashville NC

*Hatch Show Print Archives, Nashville TN

*Racing Silks, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington

*Truckers Chapel, KY

*Warrior Motel, Cherokee NC

*Downtown, Nashville TN

*Restored Woolworth’s Soda Fountain, Ashville NC

*View from the Bathroom, Air B&B Rental at Warm Springs Cottage, Warm Springs VA

*Strange Scenery, Somewhere Near Dollywood, TN

*Barista Parlor, Nashville TN

*Driving Over the Smoky Mountains, TN

*Hatch Show Print, Nashville TN

*Water Tower, NJ

*Kid Breakfast at Sunny Point Cafe, Ashville NC

*Caverns of Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge VA

*Farmer’s Market Fruit, Nashville TN

*Surprise Memorial Day Fireworks at The Homestead, Hot Springs VA

*Jefferson Pools, Warm Springs VA

*Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge VA

*Tadpoles! Natural Bridge VA

*Wild Turkey Country, TN

*Kentucky Horse Park Lexington

*Clouds and Windshield Bugs, Driving Through NC

Flea Market Finds: Vintage Barware

22 Wednesday May 2013

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Stirrers

The neighborhood stoop sales were especially good this past weekend.  We barely made it to Ada’s school festival because we kept returning to the estate sale of a former set designer from New Orleans.  The sale was full of vintage Christmas ornaments, beads and glassware.  I found these stirrers for $.50.  The beaker is from a different sale and has pretty numbers etched into the glass.  It set us back $1.  How I love a good stoop sale!  We have been collecting nicer pieces for our “bar” (a shelf in the kitchen at the moment).  Chris likes to mix up a cocktail in one of his grandparents’ tumblers when we watch Mad Men.  (And he has been making me a virgin ginger beer version).  Everything tastes better when it is sipped out of a fancy glass.

Hudson Valley Seed Library

02 Thursday May 2013

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The Hudson Valley Seed Library offers heirloom and non-GMO seeds wrapped in beautiful packages.  Each seed pack is designed and illustrated by a different artist and contains a bit about the history and origin of the seeds.  The girls and I recently planted some of the borage and Basil seeds in our garden.  The borage is for the bees and the basil is for our salads.  Hudson Valley Seed Library’s seeds would make perfect wedding favors or party thank-yous.  The seed packs are not only pretty, they are also playing an important role in preserving heritage seeds and plants for the next generations.

A Visit to Portland (Maine)

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

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I got to spend this past weekend in beautiful Portland Maine. I went without the kids for my cousin’s baby shower and managed to get a whole day to myself walking around the city.  I haven’t been in Portland for years, but was happy to see some of my favorite stores were still alive and well.  The flight from JFK takes only about 45 minutes and the airport in Portland is about a 15 minute drive to downtown.  The city is full of good food and beautiful views and old cobble streets.  Here are a few treasures from the weekend:

*Yarn, yarn, yarn and patterns for baby sweaters from KnitWit on Congress Street.  I especially liked their selection of Maine-made yarns and picked up some pretty Swans Island colors.  (I got a little ambitious, and am trying for three sweaters for the new baby by August).

*German Kite Making Paper from Circa Home on Congress Street.  I can’t wait to look up some kite patterns to make with the girls.  Circa Home is relatively new and has a well-edited and affordable mix of vintage and new housewares, toys and office/art supplies.  I fell in love with a set of vintage children’s gardening tools in the window.

*One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey, Seaweed Soap and Cotton Dishtowels by the Yard are from Folly 101 on Exchange Street.  I remember my Great-Grandmother always had dishtowels like these, bought by the yard and then hemmed at home.  I picked up the One Morning in Maine book as a shower gift.  It has the most beautiful vintage illustrations and makes me want to move out to a remote island on the Maine coast.  McCloskey also wrote and illustrated Make Way for Ducklings – one of our all-time favorite books.  Folly 101’s owner Astrid is also a stylist and has a great eye for simple, beautiful housewares.

I had a great weekend visiting family, watching the water and wandering around Portland.  But I am happy to be home again with my family, and happy to have some new projects to look forward to.

Cheating on Mrs. Meyers

26 Friday Apr 2013

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Caldrea

I love Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, I really do.  I have used their natural cleaning products for years.  But when I am pregnant and have super smelling powers the fragrance of Mrs. Meyer’s can make my head spin.  (Did I mention we are expecting a third baby in August?)  So, when I spotted Caldrea dish soap at Target the other day I gave them a cautious sniff.  They smell amazing!  The scents seemed powerful and fresh without being overpowering.  I gathered up some Hibiscus Yuzu, Citron Ginger and Blackberry Mint.  They cost $5.99 each and the bubbles turned out to last for an entire sinkful of dishes.  (We are crazy people who eat off of vintage dishes and glassware and never use our dishwasher because it would harm the bakelite and wash away Swanky Swigs decals).  The Caldrea soap smell seemed to pleasantly last through washing but did not linger for the next several hours.  I will have to seriously consider my return to Mrs. Meyer’s after the baby comes and my Spidey Sense wanes.

Garden Inside

25 Thursday Apr 2013

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Flowers

We are so excited to have flowers in the back yard!  I have wanted a cutting garden of my own since I worked designing wedding bouquets years ago.  Our garden is just starting out this spring, but we were able to do a bit of cutting from the bulbs we planted in the fall.  I am in love with these checkered Fritillaria and the Hyacinth and Daffodils smell wonderful.  We purchased our bulbs from White Flower Farm in Connecticut and the resulting plants have been strong and vibrant.  We are trying to stick to a blue/purple/white/cream color palette.  Although this scheme has morphed a bit as Chris recently purchased some giant yellow sunflower seeds, some of the tulip colors are slightly different than the catalog image, and Chris’ parents are giving us some beautiful pink peonies from their yard.  We are looking forward to figuring out the flowering schedule and filling in with new plants every season.  This is what has come up and bloomed in the garden so far:

*Narcissus Cheerfulness

*Narcissus Manly (Huge blooms!)

*Fritillaria Persica Adiyaman

*Fritillaria Meleagris (I love this!)

*Hyacinth Blue Eyes

*Hyacinth Miss Saigon (These smell wonderful)

*Tulip Backpacker

*Tulip Champagne Diamond (So beautiful!)

Happy Spring!

Charcoal Water Purifier

12 Friday Apr 2013

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I have been trying to escape our habit of keeping a Brita pitcher on the counter.  It makes our water taste better, but the unattractive plastic container hurts my eyes.  I came across this Kishu Binchotan Charcoal at Dry Goods in Brooklyn last weekend.  (See my post about my new favorite store Dry Goods here).  This charcoal is actually just a piece of ceramic-like burned wood, charred at super high temperatures.  The charcoal absorbs impurities in the water and makes it taste much better.  The Brita and many other filters use the same charcoal technology.  But these Binchotan sticks look better and don’t come ground up and housed in disposable plastic.  (Technically NYC water is safe to drink without a filter, and we had ours tested to be sure there is no lead in our old pipes.  But I grew up with well water and I like ours to have that similar taste).  I boiled the Binchotan Charcoal for ten minutes per the directions, dropped it into my vintage ice tea pitcher and let it sit for a couple of hours.  I was thrilled to find that the taste is as clean, and even better than water from the Brita.  This glass pitcher is a welcome addition to our countertop.  Ebay has a great number of inexpensive vintage glass pitchers here if you want one of your own.  Cheers!